The Space Between the Stars - Discont
by UnderdogFan1254
Summary: The Warrior Code took moons to establish. Here's a peek into what SkyClan did in the meantime. / AU, explanation note inside.
1. Prologue

(a/n: y'all know i love a good SkyClan. i would do this with the other clans, but a SkyClan timeline is the only one i'm interested in making (i'm not gonna figure out all events between things for a clan i don't like, yknow?) anyway, here's the fanfic containing all ~174 points between Mothflight's Vision and Cloudstar's Journey. i StanClan SkyClan.)

(a/n: note relating to the chapter, i don't consider Thunderstar's Echo or Shadowstar's Life (or any other post-DotC novellas) canon, and this chapter will reflect as much)

(...)

"Sterling…" Dew Petal whispered, letting the black-striped kittypet curl his tail around her and lick behind her ear.

"Yes?"

The tom pulled away, his green eyes meeting Dew Petal's teal ones.

"Do you think I could spend the night here, with you? My father is planning to launch a war on ThunderClan tomorrow for trespassing on our territory. I don't think he's right and maybe if I don't come back, he won't do it."

Sterling shrugged and padded away from her, holding his tail upright and pointing the tip for Dew Petal to follow. He pawed a piece of strange white bark upward, slipping in under a hole. Dew Petal cautiously followed.

Sterling patted a nest of colorful furs with his tail and kneaded it a bit, before laying down and patting to invite Dew Petal. Dew Petal purred and curled up to her mate, his warm scent a wonderful lull.

(...)

Birds chirped in the tree in Sterling's neighboring garden. Sterling's owner had founded them in the Twoleg building, she'd scooped up Sterling and sent Dew Petal running. Not that she minded, she'd spent the night with the cat she loved anyway.

She held a cardinal and a goldfinch's wings in her jaws, taking her time in the warm dawn light. The forest was so beautiful at sunrise.

Once she made it back to camp and placed the cardinal on the fresh-kill pile, a pale blue-gray tom rushed up to her.

"Dew Petal!" her father exclaimed, "Where have you _been?"_

"Out," Dew Petal replied, Star Flower and Flower Foot coming over as well, "What, is it a crime?"

Skystar lowered his ears and huffed, "No, I suppose not but…" he wrapped his tail around his mate, "Dew Petal, you had us worried sick!"

"Why did you leave without telling us?" asked Star Flower.

Dew Petal felt a pit in her stomach grow. She _couldn't _tell her father she didn't think he was right to launch war. Flower Foot flicked her tail and nodded to her sister, turning to their parents.

"Dew Petal might've been harmed, Skystar," she mewed, pointing to a red thing along Dew Petal's belly. Skystar and Star Flower's eyes went wide. "Let's make sure she's okay and we don't have any foxes on the territory," Flower Foot suggested, "We can call ThunderClan to a meeting and work this out piecefully."

Skystar rapidly nodded and rushed over to Acorn Fur's den while Star Flower found Sparrow Fur, still in the hunter's den and groggy from sleep. Flower Foot nodded and smiled, settling down next to Dew Petal and started to saw off a wing.

"You should'nt've said fox, you know," Dew Petal hissed softly, "You don't need to remind them of Tiny Branch."

Both Dew Petal and Flower Foot had been a bit too young to remember their brother. From what their clanmates told them, a fox had snuck into camp and placed one big bite into his body. He'd lost too much blood to be saved and the poor kitten had died.

"I know," Flower Foot said, a note of regret in her voice, "But there aren't many other things in the forest out for cat blood, you know."

"Badgers."

Acorn Fur was soon over and tapped at Dew Petal's stomach. The she-cat twisted around a bit so that the medicine cat would have a better view at the definite not-blood. The chestnut-brown cat picked the piece of soft red something from her pelt and all three of the she-cats stared confused for a few moments. Acorn Fur ran a paw over Dew Petal's stomach to check for an actual wound and jumped back.

"Dew Petal," she mewed quietly, "You're expecting kits."


	2. Chapter 1

"_Sterling! Sterling! Sterling?!"_

It had been a week since Dew Petal had received the news. Of course they were Sterling's, she hadn't gotten close to any other tom.

The week had been filled with various storms and flooding, today the rain had finally let up. Clouds were still dark and strong and threatened to break again at anytime. She stumbled over the fence, new roundness of her belly on her already very-rotund body not very helpful.

She regained her breath and looked around. The garden was full of puddles. She opened her jaws to try and catch a faint scent of the tom. Instead what hit her was something sweet-smelling that made her mouth water. She followed her mouth slowly, but before she got far a meow stopped her. Dew Petal and froze and spun around, looking upward.

A gray tabby sat in the tree in the neighbor's yard, head on his paws, legs and tail swinging lazily.

"Don't drink that."

"Whatever is it? It smells like honeysuckles."

"It's antifreeze," the tom answered, Dew Petal padded closer and sat under him, "After it rained last night, the neighbor on that side-" the tom pointed with his tail to the den behind them, Dew Petal turned to look, "Snuck some in this morning."

"Why would they do that?"

The tom shrugged, "Hates cats. Antifreeze is poison, you know."

"Oh…" Dew Petal mewed, looking through Sterling's windows and hoping she could see him, "Do you know where Sterling is?"

The tom shrugged again, "ER, I'd hope."

Dew Petal blinked and tilted her head. "_Eee-ahrr?"_

"Sure," said the tom with a light laugh, "He took a drink of it."

Dew Petal felt her heart sink. "W-well, do you know when he'll come back?"

"No clue," he huffed, smile still not leaving his face, "Better to hope he comes back at all than worry about when."

Dew Petal's eyes went wide and she took several seconds to respond, kneading the mud underneath her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," mewed the tom, flicking his ear as a breeze kicked a leaf into it, "If he's lucky, he'll come back but he won't be an outdoor cat anymore."

Dew Petal flattened her ears to his head. "And if he's not lucky?"

"I guess you won't be seeing him whatsoever."

Dew Petal dug her claws deep into the soil and hung her head. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears and up against her chest. She rose her paws and pressed them to her ears, desperate to stomp out the ringing. Once it was gone, she panted.

"Well, um, th-thank your for the… information… um," she looked back up, "I don't believe I ever got your name."

"Fritz. You?"

"Dew Petal."

Fritz, for once in the conversation, showed a hint of emotion, tilting his head in confusion. "Dew Petal? What a strange name."

Dew Petal shrugged, "I can say the same for you."

Fritz tilted his head, "Touché," was all he said, raising up and turning away from the she-cat, sliding off his tree. Dew Petal took that as enough reason she'd better go back.

(...)

Dew Petal took more after Star Flower than she thought she did. It had been little before a week, and Dew Petal's kits were coming early. A stick splintered between her teeth and her claws sank deep into moss. Soon enough, Dew Petal stopped to breath and a loud, high-pitched yowl rang throughout the nursery.

Suddenly filled with energy, Dew Petal sat up and looked back to Acorn Fur, licking a kitten. It-

_It looks just like Sterling._

Satisfied with her cleaning, Acorn Fur placed the bundle at her belly. "Congratulations!"

Dew Petal sighed and nodded, looking down at her kitten.

"It's beautiful," whispered Star Flower. "Do you have a name?"

Dew Petal blinked and curled her plumey tail around the kit, "I'd like to name them Birch Pelt."

Star Flower purred. Acorn Fur nodded.

"You know, Dew Petal," Acorn Fur mewed, "Skystar's been talking to me about… a standardized naming system. You know, he thinks it's a bit weird leaders get a part of their name replaced with star and he really liked his Clear."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. He's going to talk about it with the other leaders, but for now he thinks that for their first six moons, kittens get the last name kit. Like, Birchkit."

"And?"

"And after those six moons they get their full name, like Birch Pelt."

Dew Petal purred. Not the worst opinion her father had. "I suppose," she yawned, "We'll see if the other leaders agree."

(...)

Another storm had kicked up. It'd been a week since Fritz had talked to that pretty little she-cat. Now Fritz had his own kitten at his paws.

It's mother's name was Checkers, she lived several houses away and now she'd never return to her owners. The rain had already washed the blood from her pelt and the kit, but that didn't make her any less dead.

_D'ya think Dew Petal has had her kits? _Fritz shrugged internally and picked up the kitten by the scruff, _Worth a shot, anyhow._

The raindrops fell heavy on Fritz's back, not that he really minded.

He wasn't even that sure why he cared about the kit so much. He'd fathered kits before- at least _one _of the cats he'd mated with _must _have had some. It was probably the fact Checkers had died right in front of him, thinking back, and just how much the kitten looked like her.

Checkers had a pale underbelly and tan black with black spots. The kitten had a pale underbelly, dove-gray back and spots the color of Fritz's gray stripes.

"Halt, trespasser!" came a voice. Looking up, Fritz saw a small, young-looking cream-and-white tom sitting in front of a bramble tunnel. He puffed out his chest, trying to look more important that he was. "State your business!"

Fritz lifted his head up, fully showing the kitten in his jaws. The tom's eyes went wide and he moved from the tunnel, motioning for Fritz to enter. He bent his head over the kit, who cried with every step. Immediately out of the tunnel, the tom led him toward the nursery, where Dew Petal was napping inside. The tom shook her awake and Fritz placed the kit at her belly, alongside a kitten who looked just like Sterling.

_So that's why she was so worried about him._

"Fritz."

"Hi, so, uh, my kit's mom died."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Well, I was wondering if you would nurse it?"

"Only if you come and visit."

Fritz shifted his paws uncertainty. "...fine," he grumbled after a moment. "What will you name him?"

"You don't want to?"

"I wouldn't know."

Dew Petal lifted her head and looked down at the kit. "What do you think about Splashing Rain?"

Fritz shrugged, and, hesitating a moment, placed his nose to the kit and nodded to Dew Petal, backing out of the den.


	3. Chapter 2

(a/n: yeah lmao. named him after the Fritz the Cat movies, it's the 60s! (in my head he sounds like him & has a red collar) was gonna name Checkers Winston, but they didn't have a very gonna relationship in the movie (then again i guess they don't here either) but i imagine Checkers was owned by a child who should not be watching Fritz the Cat.

She was named after Chubby Checker :)

(...)

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highbranch for a clan meeting!"

Birch Pelt and Splashing Rain, now a moon old, came tumbling out of the nursery, Dew Petal close behind them.

"Kits, kits!" she mewed as they tumbled into Quick Water's leg. The she-cat smirked and lifted her plumey tail, crashing it on top of them. The kittens squealed and laughed, Quick Water wagging for even more of a game.

"Clanmates," Skystar went on, "Last night, the other leaders and I decided to change the way we name cats. Kittens will be named kit until they become apprentices," he glanced over to his grandchildren, "Like Birchkit or Rainkit. Once they become apprentices, they become paw- Birchpaw, Rainpaw. After six moons, they are given their full name- Birchpelt, Rainsplash."

Honey Pelt stood up, "Does that mean we're getting renamed?"

Skystar turned to his apprentice, "No, you're not Honey Pelt. Dew Petal," he turned back, "If you'd like to rename, then you can."

Dew Petal nodded and crouched down to her kits, now calmed down and thoroughly ruffled.

"But I like Birch Pelt!" Birchkit cried.

Dew Petal purred, "That's okay, you'll be Birch Pelt again soon enough."

"I like Rainkit!" the other squeaked. Dew Petal placed her nose to his head.

Then, lightning split the sky, landing right onto the oak tree between the nursery and hunter den. A branch caught fire and fell off. Red Claw screeched and grapped Honey Pelt, the cat who was closest, by his scruff and threw him forward, away from the flame. Skystar hissed and flung himself over Honey Pelt.

It spread further, into the nursery. Rapidly, Quick Water picked up newly-named Rainkit and Dew Petal did the same to Birchkit.

"_Out, get out!" _Skystar yowled, nudging Honey Pelt upward. Dew Petal didn't question, rushing out behind Quick Water. Sparrow Fur, the third cat out, looked around rapidly as the clan rushed with them.

"Where do we go?"

Quick Water pointed with her tail, "Last time the camp caught on fire, we went over the river, because the fire couldn't cross," she muttered around Rainkit.

"But it's been raining so long!" Thorn protested, "The river must be twice it's size!"

"No you have a better idea?" Quick Water snapped.

Blossom's voice was next. "Where's Skystar?"

(...)

Birch and Alder had after Thorn, the best swimmer SkyClan had, swan across the deep and rapid river to send for RiverClan aide.

"He can't still be in camp!" Alder mewed, "What about Honey Pelt?"

As if it summoned him, Honey Pelt crashed head-first into Birch.

"Honey Pelt!" the ginger tom exclaimed, "What's happened?"

"The camp's on fire," he said quickly, "Skystar's still there, I think he's fainted."

"Fainted," Alder mewed, looking to Birch, "Do you think he's lost a life?"

"If he's passed out, he must've. Umm, you run Honey Pelt down to the river, I'll go try to grab him."

"Please stay safe," Alder mewed, looping her tail over Honey Pelt's shoulders.

Birch nodded and ran back into camp. The bramble tunnel was orange on top, but the flames had yet to cover the inside. Sure enough, there lie Skystar, still and mangled.

"Oh, StarClan," Birch mewed quitely, "Don't let this be his last life."

He bit into his scruff and immediately, the tom shot awake, startling Birch.

"What are you doing here?"

"Saving your pelt, idiot!" but then Birch broke into a coughing fit as the smoke around them got thicker. Skystar's eyes went wide and grabbing Birch instead, he rushed the tom out. Clearly Skystar remembered the first fire as well as Quick Water did, immediately rushing toward the river.

He set Birch down, who was panting, still clearing his throat and unable to breath through his nose. Skystar looped his tail around his shoulders and stepped into the rapidly rushing river.

The current threatened to drag them further downstream, and neither were strong enough to fight it. Skystar managed to let out one loud yowl as a wave crashed over their heads and lead them downward. Skystar could faintly see Birch's head hit a rock, but couldn't keep his eyes open long.

(...)

"_Moon Shad...ow…" _Quick Water whispered as Night and Pine Needle dragged Skystar and Birch from the river. Alder let out a shriek. Acorn Fur whacked her tail into Nettle's flank.

"Go grab Dappled Pelt," she said rapidly. Pine Needle was pushing up and down on Birch's stomach. Eventually the ginger tom coughed up black water and his eyes fluttered open a bit, quickly closing. Alder rushed up and put her paws over his body.

"I'm sorry, Alder," Pine Needle whispered, wrapping his black tail around her.

"_No! No, no, noooo! Birch!" _She sobbed and placed her muzzle on his cheek, moving one paw in between her chest, "B-Birch, I… I don't know if you remember… or if you can hear me but… remember. Remember when we were still kits, with Misty, and when she said goodbye to a cat she said _godspeed?" _

Birch flicked his ear in acknowledgement.

"Well…" she sniffed, "If this is really the end for you…. Th-then… Godspeed, Birch."

Birch smiled and just a heartbeat after that, the fur on his chest stopped sweeping Alder's paw.

Alder let out another yowl and sobbed harder into his pelt. On the other side of the rocky clearing, Skystar coughed. Star Flower, Flower Foot and Dew Petal, kits in tail, surrounding him.

"Sparrow Fur," he rasped, summoning the calico. She stepped closer. Skystar placed his white paw on Sparrow Fur's own.

"Will you lead SkyClan after me?"

Sparrow Fur looked down at the tom, wondering where all his nobility had gone. He'd lost all his lives so quickly. Sparrow Fur leaned down and touched her nose to his ear.

"I will never live up to you."

Skystar wheezed, "You don't have to live up to me. You just have to lead…" With one last wheeze, he stopped breathing entirely. Star Flower yowled and collapsed onto him. Dew Petal pressed her kits closer and pressed into Flower Foot's tan chest.

Sparrow Fur leaned back up, swallowing back her own cries and looked around the clearing. The worst of damages looked to be emotional. Dapple Pelt and Acorn Fur had herbs in their jaws and Pine Needle was weaving around the cats, but Acorn Fur's gaze was caught on Sparrow Fur. She dipped her head.

"Sparrowstar."


	4. Chapter 3

Sparrow Fur took a deep breath as she looked up at the gaping hole of Mothermouth. It'd been a few days since the fire, which wasn't nearly as bad as the clan had feared. It got the camp, but for the most part was just a smokefest.

"Are you ready?" asked Acorn Fur.

"...do I really need my lives so soon?"

"We've already walked all the way up here, Sparrow Fur, you're getting your lives if I have to knock you out myself."

Sparrow Fur let out a _mrrow _of amusement, then sighed. "Okay. Fine. ...what was it like with Skystar?"

"I don't know, I didn't get his lives with him. Looked like it hurt."

Sparrow Fur shuddered and Acorn Fur touched her white tail-tip to the bridge of her muzzle. "The tunnel is small and dark," she informed, "Don't lose me." Sparrow Fur nodded and slowly, Acorn Fur padded forward. For a while it was comfortable, but soon the walls started to press inward, touching the ends of her whiskers. Light taps echoed on the stone as their whiskers brushed against the cold stone, but after several more steps, the tunnel grew again and Sparrow Fur saw a stone the height of a tree. Moonlight seeped into the den, lighting up the place.

"Come on," Acorn Fur mewed, "Once it's moonhigh it's _blindingly _bright."

"What do I do?"

"Just go up and place your nose to it. StarClan will take you soon enough."

Sparrow Fur nodded and followed Acorn Fur's example. Paws shaking, she laid down next to the stone and placed her nose to the ice-cold surface. Acorn Fur wrapped her tail around her haunches, but Sparrow Fur was only faintly aware. The blackness of her eyelids was quickly being replaced with a forest, leaves of trees dark blue with stars in each. Ranks of starry cats then appeared in front of her.

"Welcome Sparrow Fur," came a voice she faintly recognized. Blinking, she saw her own striking image staring back at her.

"_Mom!" _she yowled, tumbling into her.

"Sparrow Fur! Sparrow Fur!" Turtle Tail cried, licking her head. Sparrow Fur could've stayed in her mother's paws forever, but after one more lick to her eye, Turtle Tail shoved her off and stood. She placed her nose to Sparrow Fur's, who let out a whimper.

"With this life I give you a mother's love."

A scene unfolded before Sparrow Fur's eyes. Turtle Tail sat in the nursery, kits playing around. Then they were gone, and Turtle Tail was running, up toward the Thunderpath. Sparrow Fur dug her claws into the ground, eyes going wide and letting out a breath as she felt a monster tumble into her side and across her body.

Next came a calico, sweeping her head under Turtle Tail's chin before Turtle Tail stepped away.

"My name is Bumble," she mewed, "I lived with your father and Turtle Tail when she was a kittypet." Sparrow Fur nodded, "With this life I give you compassion." Claws sank into Sparrow Fur's pelt, but she couldn't see who- or what- was making them. She blinked and next thing her knew, she was sitting in Turtle Tail's paws. Coming back to StarClan, a gray cat was in front of her.

"Dad?"

Gray Wing nodded. "With this life I give you selflessness," her chest was tight, so tight she felt like her bones would shatter in on themselves. Gray Wing licked the space between her eyes, and the pain was gone.

Next was Bright Stream, who brushed her tail under Skystar's chin before coming up to Sparrow Fur. She gave her a life for trusting her clan, and Sparrow Fur felt the ground leave from under her paws and claws dug deep into her back. Then was Petal, who's pain felt like Gray Wing's but stuffier, giving her the life of bravery. Next was Micah, who gave farsightedness. Then was Tiny Branch, who gave happiness. Then was Birch, who's life was loyalty. Finally Skystar stepped up, dipping his head to her.

"With this life I give you confidence."

Sparrow Fur expected it to be the drowning, but no, it was worse than that. First came claws across her throat, then what felt like a thousand sharp, heavy stones on her leg. Claws across her shoulder, claws down her stomach, claws, claws, claws…

Sparrow Fur knew Skystar didn't lose all his lives in battle and that no clan cat was that ferocious. Regaining her senses, she managed to look up to Skystar. Once she saw that his eyes were averted away from her, away from the crowd, she knew exactly what all that pain was. Skystar sighed.

"No matter. Your old life is no more, you have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you guardianship of SkyClan. Defend it well, care for young and old, honor your ancestors, live each life with pride and dignity. I hail you by your new name, Sparrowstar!"

"_Spar-row-star! Spar-row-star!"_

(...)

"_Spar-row-star! Spar-row-star!"_

Sparrowstar lifted her chin as her clan called her name around her. She stepped down from the Highbranch, next to Acorn Fur.

"Who will you appoint as deputy?" she asked. Sparrowstar looked around the crowd. Thorn had always been quite the helpful cat, but Thorn had always been quite the ambitious cat. Her gaze drifted to the tan tabby in front of the nursery. Sparrowstar tapped her shoulder to Acorn Fur.

"I'm going to take Flower Foot and tell the other clans about Skystar's death. I'll see if she accepts."


	5. Chapter 4

(a/n: for some reason i just imagine all DotC books take place in those Good Good Texan Winters were its just really cold and gray but there's no snow? anyway i don't imagine there's snow here but if you do that's ok)

It had been several moons since Sparrowstar had become leader, six to be exact, and she'd already lost her first life. It was now leafbare and both of Dew Petal's kits had left the nursery. Dew Petal hadn't become a warrior again, instead staying a helper, though not quite Acorn Fur's apprentice.

Sparrowstar, Red Claw and Alder were all down with a sickness and they were being kept in a gap in the ferns on the other side of the hunter's den. Alder was wheezing and kept going on about how she couldn't die, she'd survived the sickness of the Blazing Star.

Cloud Spots of ThunderClan was in camp, helping out.

"Greencough," he mewed, "Whitecough isn't nearly as severe."

"I don't know what either of those are," Acorn Fur said back.

"Whitecough is just worse than a pollen allergy," he exclaimed, "It's debilitating, but manageable. Greencough is worse, greencough is this."

"What's the cure for it?"

"Catmint."

Fritz, there on his daily sunhigh visit and huge eavesdropper he was, looked to Dew Petal, wide-eyed.

"Checkers' owners grew catmint," he whispered.

"Checkers? Is that Rainpaw's mother?"

He nodded, "Yeah, yeah. But she has a sister who lives there too, Domino. She hates me. Always has, even more now that she's dead."

Rainpaw, who was sharing a sparrow with Birchpaw not too far away, looked up, ears pressed flat to his head. Fritz gave Dew Petal a terrified glance, then stood.

"W-we gotta go on a big journey, Rainpaw," he mewed, voice strained, "Or else all those cats are gonna die."

Rainpaw jumped up to his paws, now unbothered by what he'd overheard, "Yeah! Let's go!"

Dew Petal let out a _mrrow _of amusement. "Finish your sparrow first. It's leafbare."

(...)

Fritz was leading them on the edge of the forest, in the clearing between Twolegplace and SkyClan territory. Well, currently it was all clearing, no dens to be seen. Soon there was a yellow house, instead of the soft orange wood of the other homes, this fence had skinny poles with silver web between each, spikes on top. A big black dog was snoozing in the yard.

Fritz leaped up on the fence, which jingled, not that the dog noticed. Rainpaw and Birchpaw followed, meanwhile Dew Petal stayed on the other side, terrified. The three cats picked at the frosted garden. A sleek, black-spotted cat emerged from under a flap in the den entrance, launching at Fritz and tumbling him over.

"Domino-"

"_You killed my sister, you fink!"_

Domino scored her claws against Fritz's cheek.

"G-go," he whimpered to his kits, "Take the catmint ba_-AHCK!"_

Domino scored her claws down Fritz's stomach. On reflex and reflex only, Fritz kicked. His scream was enough to wake the dog, who barked and stood in Domino's direction, scaring her back into the home. Fritz hauled himself up and over the fence, dripping blood over the frosted ground.

Dew Petal shrieked, holding his head in her paws.

"Dew Petal…?" he mewed, life quickly fleeting from him.

"Fr-Fritz…"

"Where did Rainpaw run off to…?"

Rainpaw dropped his herbs at Birchpaw's feet, who was watching on in horror.

"I'm still here, dad," he whispered, curling himself into his bleeding stomach.

Fritz swallowed thickly, "I just want you all to know I love you more than you'll ever know…"

"Don't say that Fritz, no- w-we'll get you okay-" she turned to face her daughter, "Birchpaw, go get-"

A sudden gasp at her chest stopped her. Fritz's yellow eyes were rolled back in his head, dull, the only light in them from the cold leafbare sun.

"Dad?" Rainpaw whimpered, sitting up, the side of his body red with blood. "Dad? _Dad?! Fritz!"_

(...)

Red Claw had died and Sparrowstar had lost a life. Alder had recovered but not everything had quite left her body, leaving her to sound like she was always stuffed up. Sparrowstar had lost another one of her lives and the season had changed back to leaf-fall.

Birchpaw and Rainpaw were due for hunter names any day now.

In fact, Sparrowstar and Birchpaw were out for her hunter assessment.

Birchpaw was just about to catch a robin, but a yowl rang out not far from them. Sparrowstar leaped from her branch and Birchpaw pressed her face into Sparrowstar's chest.

"What is that?"

"Badger. Come on."

Birchpaw nodded and let the she-cat lead her, jaws half-open following the scent through bushes. Through another bush was the river and the tallest maple tree in the territory. Sparrowstar put her tail over Birchpaw's eyes, as if that would stop the yowling and growling she could hear.

"Stay here," she commanded, launching out and yowling. Birchpaw peered out from the bushes, but all she could see was a blur of white, tan and black. One more grunt and a flying white body, the badger rushed off.

"Flower Foot?" Birchpaw asked after a few seconds, coming out if the bush. The she-cat turned around, making scarred half of her face known.

"I couldn't save her…" Flower Foot sobbed, hanging her head, "I'm so sorry…"

Birchpaw rushed up and strained her neck around her aunt. There lay the mangled body of her mother, pelt battered and torn. Birchpaw froze and collapsed onto her haunches.

"And Sparrowstar's dead, too! She's losing her lives too fast!"

Birchpaw sunk her claws in the ground and cast a cold glance at her.

"My mother's dead and the only cat you care about is Sparrowstar?" she asked coldly. Flower Foot's eyes went wide as she slowly turned to her. "Sparrowstar will come back! You know who _can't? Your sister!"_

"What's gotten into you?" Flower Foot snapped.

"Some love for my family!"

"Birchpaw, I'm-"

"Not anymore you're not! _You killed her!"_

"Birchpaw-!"

Birchpaw didn't listen, instead heaving Dew Petal up onto her back and into camp. Inwardly she knew she wasn't actually mad at Flower Foot, she was mad her mother was dead.

(...)

"I name you Birchpelt and Rainsplash."

Inwardly Birchpelt was a bit disappointed she wasn't named Birchpetal. It'd been a moon since her mother's death, but she was nowhere near over it. She got a glance toward the deputy.

"Congrats," she mewed. Birchpelt dipped her head in acknowledgement. _It wasn't her fault, _Birchpelt reminded herself… but inside she was glad her name wasn't Birchflower or Birchfoot.


	6. Chapter 5

(a/n: Raven Pelt's a transgirl)

(...) (...)

Ever since Skystar's death, Honey Pelt had been straying from SkyClan's camp. He knew it was an impossible request, but he was really looking for a camp without any active parents.

In RiverClan, Dawn Mist and Moss Tail had a second litter in Emberpaw and Beepaw. Drizzle had her own in Willowkit, Graykit and Dewkit. Then again, Honey Pelt told himself, he never had been very close with his brother.

In WindClan, Honey Pelt's blood grandfather, Gorse Fur, had become leader. Swift Minnow and Reed Tail had a fully-grown son named Runningfall, who had earned his name from falling into the gorge during his assessment. Runningfall and Dust Muzzle were getting awfully close and his mother had told him they'd probably have more kits any day now. Holly and Jagged Peak had had a second litter with one kitten named Hawkkit. Honey Pelt couldn't be with his mother anyway, and figured all the parenthood was a sign.

In ThunderClan, Milkweed and Leaf had managed to have a third litter. Their names were Thistlepaw, Whitepaw, Vinepaw and Dapplepaw. Whitepaw was sickly, even in the greencough-free time of greenleaf. Honey Pelt easily loved Blue Whisker the most, but the thought of an apprentice being always on the edge of death hurt to see. Besides, Blue Whisker was growing close to Shivering Rose, and chances were they'd have themselves a family any day now, too.

That left Honey Pelt in ShadowClan, with Bubbling Stream. It wasn't ideal, SkyClan and ShadowClan were practically on opposite corners of the world, but there were no newborn kittens or fresh apprentices.

He'd spent a few moons in the forest, completely unaccustomed to the marshy ground and overall not doing a very good job. Sunstar was trying to be kind to him, but Dangling Leaf and Dusk Nose's laughter at Honey Pelt's reluctance to eat another frog spoke the loudest.

So, one day, he started to wander again. He followed that foul-smelling scent that the wind blew through the pines on the cloudy days where the sun was the coldest.

Down a hill, between ShadowClan territory and the wrong side of Highstones, sat a dark brown yard full of dead monsters. He heard a deep dog bark and looked down the hill to see if he could enter. Instead he saw a cat's body.

The kittypet was beautiful. Her back was striped tortoiseshell and the rest of her body was white, with delicate paws too soft for the harshness of the wild. Her eyes were half-closed and green and her collar, where a single curved tag hung, was striped with red and white.

Rushing down the hill, Honey Pelt crouched down, prodding her shoulder. The she-cat whimpered and groaned, so weak his single tap pulled her body up, revealing a dark red wound that was once pressed to the grass.

Honey Pelt whimpered to himself, trying his hardest to lift the kittypet onto his back before heading back to ShadowClan.

"...what's this?" asked Juniper Branch, bluntly. Honey Pelt sat the kittypet in the center of camp, letting Pebble Heart get right to work- that and he didn't know where his den _was._

"It's a kittypet," Raven Pelt mewed, looping her tail around her mate's haunches.

"How'd she get the wound?" Bubbling Stream asked, sitting beside Honey Pelt as he watched Pebble Heart intently.

"There was a dog," he said quietly.

"A dog?" Sunstar repeated, stepping down from the Clanrock, "Where?"

"All the way to the edge of the territory, on a mountainy part of Highstones, not near the entrance. It's full of… monster carrion. A Carrionplace."

"Carrionplace," Mud Paws mewed quietly, "That was here when Mouse Ears, Holly and I were rogues. It's full of disgusting rats."

"There are quite a few bites on her," Pebble Heart mewed, "I wonder if the rats carry something to infect so quickly…" He sighed, pressing harder on a bit of cobweb. The kittypet whimpered.

Half a moon later the kittypet could walk again. It was wobbly and not very good, but chances were she'd never walk correctly again.

Her name was Peppermint and she didn't leave Honey Pelt's side. Honey Pelt didn't mind, not whatsoever. Her fur was soft and warm to lay in.

Raven Pelt and Juniper Branch had a second litter and Honey Pelt was ready to return home again.

"Can I come with?" Peppermint asked.

Honey Pelt blinked. "Why?"

"You saved my life!" she laughed, then a few seconds later went on, "And I thought that… maybe… after we get settled down… we could start a family ourselves."

Honey Pelt felt his heart catch in his throat. For several heartbeats he didn't respond. Until, finally, he nodded.

(...)

Honey Pelt has brought a kittypet into the clan. It was the middle of leafbare, but Honey Pelt had argued that more warriors were good.

Sparrowstar coughed and sniffed, whitecough again wracking her body.

"We cannot afford any weak cats in this trying time," she wheezed, "Rainsplash."

The young tom perked his ears, surprised to be called on.

"Beat this cat in battle. Claws sheathed."

Rainsplash hadn't expected his sister's mentor to be so brutal, but didn't have to have to think about it before a white head had tumbled into his side. Out of breath for a few solid heartbeats, Rainsplash reached a leg up and dragged her head down, springing back up. The kittypet kicked, again knocking Rainsplash's air out. Both thoroughly winded, Sparrowstar called an end to the fight.

She gave a through wheeze before commanding anything.

"Honey Pelt," she mewed, sniffling, dragging her sickness-ridden body off the Highbranch "Teach her to hunt. And don't get up to anything."


	7. Chapter 6

Flower Foot's whitecough had developed into greencough.

Star Flower had died the night prior to her own bought, and Acorn Fur was pretty sure the severity of Flower Foot's was half-dependant on the loss of her mother.

Birchpelt, with a bit of convincing from Rainsplash, had stepped up as leader while the deputy and leader were sick.

"Who died and made you leader?" Quick Water snapped as Birchpelt sat on the Highbranch organizing patrols. Birchpelt flattened her ears to her head, callousness and anger suddenly rising from her stomach to her throat, burning a bit as it came out.

"I don't see _you _taking control of our clan, Quick Water," she snapped back, "You're the oldest cat in SkyClan, you lived with Skystar in the mountains. One would think you'd be the one to step up."

Quick Water's eyes widened, and her mouth, with was hanging open, snapped shut.

"_Ha!" _exclaimed Thorn, "Dream on, Quick Water, you _wish _this was QuickClan!"

Nettle smiled, "Birchpelt's Skystar's next of kin anyway. Maybe she _should _be our leader."

"No," Birchpelt mewed, gaining the clan's attention again, "I'm only serving until both Sparrowstar and Flower Foot get better. Now, Honey Pelt, Peppermint and Blossom, I want you to lead a hunting patrol along the ThunderClan border. Meeting dismissed."

Rainsplash, who was on a patrol with Thorn and Alder, ran his head under Birchpelt's chin before he left.

"You know," he mewed, "I think you would make a good leader."

Birchpelt just shrugged, certain she wasn't cut out for leadership, despite her clanmates claims.

(...)

Only serving as leader for the time being was the plan, anyway.

Another day had passed and night had fallen. Flower Foot was dying. Acorn Fur had informed them after they'd returned from a moonrise hunting patrol that chances were she wouldn't see the next morning.

Rainsplash was very upset. Birchpelt was pretty conflicted. Flower Foot was the cat who'd led her mother to her grave, but Flower Foot was her aunt. Rainsplash sobbed into her pelt, the only thing he could think to do, while Birchpelt watched on.

Flower Foot cracked open a dull, blue eye and stared vaguely into Birchpelt's direction.

"Birchpelt…?" she wheezed.

Birchpelt took a step forward and, reluctantly, pressed her muzzle into her neck fur. It felt so much like Dew Petal's, but not as plumey. Birchpelt needed to apologize, she had to, but she couldn't find the words.

She didn't hardly get the chance to think about her words before Flower Foot let out a sigh, and her shallow breaths stopped moving Birchpelt's chest fur. Birchpelt let out her own deep sigh. Rainsplash looked up.

"Is she…?"

Birchpelt nodded and sat up. "Help me bury her."

"Right away?"

Birchpelt shrugged, looking to Acorn Fur for guidance. Her amber eyes were dull, saddened. She suddenly seemed so old. Casting another glance at her aunt's mangled body, Birchpelt nodded; half to herself and half to Rainsplash.

They bundled her body over their shoulders, carrying her out into the forest. After they stopped and buried her, Birchpelt sat at the edge of her grave.

"...are you coming back?" Rainsplash asked quietly. Birchpelt shook her head, not taking her gaze from the snowless dirt. Rainsplash didn't saw anything, but Birchpelt heard the grass and snow crunch under his paws as he headed away. Birchpelt laid down on top of the grave, curling her tail over her nose.

(...)

"...rchpelt…. Birchpelt!"

Birchpelt grunted, batting at the paw prodding her with her tail.

"Hey!" Rainsplash exclaimed, "Don't hit me!"

Birchpelt stood and opened her eyes, stretching out.

"You've been out here all night," Rainsplash informed.

"I'd hope so," Birchpelt mewed, "I don't remember waking up to go anywhere."

Rainsplash let out a _mrrow _of laughter and rolled his eyes. "I was worried sick about you all night, you know. The sunrise was pink. Do you remember what our dad used to say?"

"That a pink dawn in leafbare means newleaf is coming?"

Rainsplash nodded, "We'll get more food soon! How neat is that?"

Birchpelt nodded, letting Rainsplash chatter on as he led her back to camp. Was that good enough for an apology, Birchpelt wondered, or did she have to say it?

She hoped she didn't.

(...)

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highbranch for a clan meeting."

It was a very warm, nice newleaf. Greencough had gone and Sparrowstar was once again healthy.

"Clanmates," Sparrowstar went on, "You all know what happened leafbare. Both Flower Foot and I came down with a sickness and Flower Foot, unfortunately, passed. This means SkyClan is deputyless."

Rainsplash cast a warm glance to his sister, sitting beside her. Birchpelt shook her head and frowned.

"Acorn Fur told me that one of our cats stepped up for leadership while I was unfit, and I believe this cat is worthy of deputyship if they step up as leader when they weren't required to. I say these words before the spirit of Flower Foot, so that she may hear and above of my choice," Sparrowstar turned her gaze to Birchpelt, "Birchpelt will be the new deputy of SkyClan."

"Birchpelt!" Rainsplash exclaimed, "Birchpelt! Birchpelt!"

Honey Pelt and Peppermint also joined in the cry. Even Quick Water, reluctantly, and only for a few words, joined. Birchpelt smiled and purred, ducking her head under Rainsplash's chin in embarrassment.

It wasn't a position she was trying for, she just felt like SkyClan needed _a _leader while both of theirs were sick… for a moment her heart sank in guilt. Was she stealing this position from Flower Foot? Then she pulled back once the cheering stopped and looked into his pale yellow eyes, bright in such pride and enthusiasm, and figured Flower Foot wouldn't mind too much.

(...)

Four moons later, in the starting weeks of leaf-fall, a yowl of pain rang out in camp. Immediately, the hunters all awoke, groggy. Acorn Fur, herbs hanging from her jaws, emerged from her den and into the bush beside the hunter's den. Honey Pelt was soon to follow.

Thorn sighed and shook their pelt, pawing up their moss before standing and heading out of the den.

"Where are you going?" yawned Nettle.

"That bigger den on the other side of this one. It's further away from the nursery and I'm not keen on being woken up by a screaming queen and screaming kit again.

Blossom and Alder were the next on their feet, following the brown cat. Quick Water tilted her head and followed once Peppermint yowled again.

"A bit disrespectful, don't you think?" Birchpelt mewed, "To just move to a new den?"

Rainsplash shrugged, "They're right, I don't want to be kept up all night and then have to do things in the morning."

Birchpelt hummed and, after a moment, followed him to the new den.

It wasn't very long before it was quiet again, and everycat was awake anyway, so after several seconds everyone stood and sat outside the nursery, tumbling over eachother to try and look inside at SkyClan's newest member.

At Peppermint's belly squirmed a black kitten with a white tail-tip. Honey Pelt, eyes watery, laid behind his mate and looked on with the utmost love in his eyes. Acorn Fur hissed and pushed her way through the cats.

"Go to bed, all of you!" she mewed, "You look like you've never seen a kitten."

"_We've _never seen a kitten," Rainsplash replied smugly.

Acorn Fur rolled her eyes and let out a beep of amusement. "Fine. Don't think I didn't overhear you complaining about sleeplessness, though. Take your look and get to bed, Peppermint and kit need rest too."

The hunters nodded, but Birchpelt and Rainsplash stayed, their heads on their paws, quietly watching. Peppermint purred.

"I was thinking Dashkit," she mewed quietly, "Nearly dashed out of me, has those dashes of white…" Honey Pelt purred and closed his eyes in acceptance.


	8. Chapter 7

Rainsplash had his sights set on Dashkit ever since he was born.

Red Claw had been Rainsplash's mentor. He was a wonderful mentor too, and Rainsplash wanted a chance to give the same excitement and happiness to another cat as Red Claw had. Dashkit was the only kit in SkyClan, after all.

He was four moons old, the top of his head up to Rainsplash's chin, and due for his apprentice ceremony any day now.

Rainsplash admitted to trying for force a bit of a bias. Anytime Dashkit came out of the nursery he'd always been the first to offer a badger ride, or a new feather, or a battle move. He'd always happily accepted.

That frosty leafbare morning, Dashkit had asked Rainsplash to take him out of camp. Rainsplash was happy to oblige.

Dashkit was telling Rainsplash all about a story Peppermint had told him, the hunter nodding along happily. Then Dashkit paused.

"Dashkit?" asked Rainsplash.

"Dad said there was a river beside the camp and that's where all our water comes from," he said, a bit quietly, "Can I see it?"

Rainsplash smiled and nodded. The young black tom shot up, tail held straight up excitedly. Rainsplash felt his heart warm at the kit's excitement. Dashkit gasped as he stepped onto the sandy shore. He crouched down at the edge of the river, which had ice frozen on its edges.

Dashkit stuck out his tongue and lapped at the ice. Unfortunately, he couldn't retract his tongue back into his mouth. He let out a noise of discomfort.

"Tasty?" asked Rainsplash. Dashkit lashed his tail. Rainsplash chuckled, then raised a paw and smacked the ice, breaking it off the bank. Unfortunately, it was still stuck to Dashkit.

Rainsplash could see the kit's mind blank, and next thing he knew, Dashkit was chest-deep in the river. Rainsplash figured it was okay, he was watching the kit, if he fell he could pull him out, right?

That's just what the hunter was thinking as the river splash and Dashkit disappeared under. That's just what he realized he could not do as he fell under himself.

"RiverClan!" Rainsplash screeched as his head bobbed up and down in the water. "Help!"

Soon enough after that, claws were wrapping around his shoulders and chest and for a second, Rainsplash thought he was going to die. Then he was on stones and a sheathed paw came crashing down on his stomach. Water poured out of his mouth and he frantically sat up. Dashkit was under the paws of another black cat.

"Oh, Emberfall, look at this," said the tom beside Rainsplash. Emberfall, a tortoiseshell with very small ginger speckles all along his pelt, turned around from Dashkit. He gasped.

"Oh, what a big fish! Good job, Beefang! And in leafbare! Willowpaw, Graypaw and Dewpaw will love it!"

Beefang purred and drew a paw over his ear. "I was thinking Aspenkit, Darkkit, Blackkit and Eelkit. Maybe it'll shut Night up for once."

Emberfall let out a _mrrow _of laughter and Rainsplash stood up beside the black tom.

"How's Dashkit…" he asked softly.

"Is that his name?" the tom responded. Rainsplash nodded, so the tom went on, "He'll live. Keep him warm, when he wakes up give him yarrow, just in case. Get him to eat. If you can find a stray bees nest, get him some honey."

Rainsplash nodded and leaned down. Emberfall and Beefang helped nudge the knocked-out kitten across the hunter's slim shoulders.

"Thank you so much… uh…"

"Pine Needle," the tom nodded.

Rainsplash nodded. He felt frozen. "How do I get back across the river?"

"That depends," Pine Needle mewed, "Are you from SkyClan or ThunderClan?"

"SkyClan."

"There's a few stepping stones on the thinnest part of the river. Emberfall, Beefang, go show him."

The toms obliged.

Back at camp, Peppermint and Honey Pelt didn't leave Dashkit's sides. For the rest of the week leafbare into the starting days of newleaf. Dashkit stayed in the medicine den for one moon. Honey Pelt didn't let Rainsplash enter. But the hunter could see Dashkit's wide, scared yellow eyes behind him and- very reluctantly- didn't try to visit.

A few days after the start of newleaf, a ginger-and-white kittypet had followed Thorn and Nettle home. Birchpelt pricked her ears and her eyes widened as Sparrowstar came over to talk to her.

"My name is Apricot," she mewed, amber gaze drifting over Birchpelt, "My owners will take my kits the second they're born. I want them to have a chance at life here."

Sparrowstar nodded and summoned Birchpelt, still moony-eyed, over. "Go out with Rainsplash and collect fresh moss for a bedding, will you?"

Birchpelt happily accepted.

(...)

It wasn't very long before Apricot had queened her kits. She'd named him Rowan. Sparrowstar had corrected to Rowankit. He was off milk the next moon. Within the moon, a patrol had found a very young kit named Beech, hardly older than Rowankit and sure not weaned yet. Apricot didn't have enough for the two of them. She thanked SkyClan and went on her way.

One moon later, Rainsplash and Birchpelt were on the dusk patrol along the ThunderClan border. The bushes rustled and the siblings prepared for a fight. Instead emerged a dark ginger-and-white she-cat emerged, a tiny, pale kitten in her jaws. The kitten was hardly two moons old, tiny and lacking the round belly of milk and soft prey kits were supposed to have.

"Hi," said the she-cat, "My name is Clover. I come from ThunderClan. This is a rogue's kit and I simply cannot bear to take care of her anymore. She doesn't need milk. Please take her and say she's fully rogue."

Rainsplash picked up the sleepy-looking kitten by her scruff.

"What's her name?" asked Birchpelt.

"It's Applekit," Clover admitted, "But if she keeps it then I can't say she's dead. Name her whatever you wish."

With that last statement, Clover turned and ran off. Birchpelt blinked at Rainsplash.

"What do you think?"

He shrugged.

They took the kit home together. She was very upset and kept mewling for her mother, but was too tired for her heart to be truly in it. She fell asleep the second she was placed on Peppermint's belly, the cat who had volunteered herself as a foster mother so they wouldn't be alone in the nursery.

"She doesn't have a name," Birchpelt lied as Rainsplash immediately backed out.

Peppermint hummed, pointing to two big patches connected with a v-shaped stripe. "What about Cherrykit?"

Birchpelt nodded, and made her way out.

It was a few nights later when Thunderstar called a Gathering to warn the other clans about dogs.

"They broke into our camp in the night," he mewed, "They killed our only kit, Applekit."

Birchpelt could see Clover's eyes go wide, as if she hadn't expected this.

Then her gaze caught on Eagle Feather. He looked _so much _like Beechkit.

(...)

The dreaded day had arrived. Dashkit was becoming an apprentice. Rainsplash hung his head shamefully as Sparrowstar's gaze drifted over him. He'd truly ruined everything. If Sparrowstar actually made the hunter Dashkit's mentor, it'd be many moons of terror and he'd be lucky if Peppermint didn't claw his liver out. Then Acorn Fur came forward.

"Clanmates," she mewed, sitting under the Highbranch. "I will not live forever, and the time has come for me to take on an apprentice. Dashpaw will be SkyClan's next medicine cat!"

Rainsplash pricked his ears in surprise, then put them back down in worry. Having a medicine cat scared of you couldn't be good. After Dashpaw and Acorn Fur touched noses, Dashpaw strode over and sweeped his head under Rainsplash's chin.

"Thank you for teaching me so much," he mewed softly.

Rainsplash tapped the tip of his tail against the soft grass. "I thought you were scared of me."

"No," Dashpaw said with a light laugh, "Peppermint and Honey Pelt are scared of you. You only ever startled me. Quite striking to just see a big form behind you suddenly, you know?"

Rainsplash let out a _mrrow _of very relieved laughter.


	9. Chapter 8

Sparrowstar didn't have many other acts as leader. She made Beechpaw, Rowanpaw and Cherrypaw apprentices and she'd sent Quick Water to StarClan. Acorn Fur had been the one to name Dashtail.

It didn't seem very long at all before Birchpelt and Acorn Fur were heading toward the Moonstone. But it _had _been long, so long in fact that a different newleaf had come to the forest again. Sparrowstar lost her last life to the sickness that seemed to claim all of them the same day the snow started to melt. Now Birchpelt was making a journey in slush that turned her silver paws tan.

"My moons grow thin," Acorn Fur mewed, "I figure I'll be joining Owlstar, Hawk Swoop, Jackdaw's Cry and Sparrowstar soon enough…"

_And Dew Petal, _Birchpelt added silently.

The tunnel was pressing and the cave was just a bit too bright. Seeing it at moonhigh rather than sunhigh, Birchpelt truly understood why Dashtail hated going there. Acorn Fur directed her as what to do, and soon enough Birchpelt was in an oak forest.

"Greetings," mewed a cat she faintly recognized. He was a pale-blue gray, with sleek fur and a white underbelly. His eyes were the same teal as Dew Petal's, and a dark star sat in each. "My name is Skystar. With this life I give you loyalty…"

Flower Foot gave her strength. Dew Petal gave her love. Red Claw gave her strength. Owlstar gave her clear sight. Quick Water gave her stubbornness. Star Flower gave her love. Fritz gave her confidence. Sparrowstar gave her mentoring.

Next thing she knew, she was Birchstar, the leader of SkyClan.

"I could sleep for a moon," was the first thing she told Acorn Fur after waking up. Acorn Fur let out a _mrrow _of laughter. Birchstar stood shakily. All that pain had felt so _real. _"What now?"

"You have to appoint a deputy and then go around the other clans to alert them of your appointment. Preferably _with _your deputy."

Birchstar nodded and padded back toward the tunnel. Before Acorn Fur followed, she pointed to the hole where moonlight seeped into the cavern.

"Doesn't look like you'll have long to sleep, though."

Birchstar grunted. "Wake me up at sunhigh."

(...)

Dashtail did just that. Reluctantly getting up and reluctantly organizing a sunhigh patrol, Birchstar tapped Rainsplash on his shoulder.

"I organized patrols when you were asleep," he informed.

"Neat," yawned Birchstar, "Come to the other clans with me?"

"Okay. What's the plan?"

Birchstar shrugged. Rainsplash let out a _mrrow _of laughter and stood, following her out of the bramble tunnel.

In ThunderClan, Whitepelt had become leader and he had made his brother, Vinetail, his deputy. Sunstar had died in ShadowClan and a cat named Hollysky had become leader. In WindClan, Dust Muzzle had become leader and his son, a cat named Stonetail, was his deputy.

"Not Spotted Fur?" asked Rainsplash. Spotted Fur had been Gorsestar's deputy, and if the tan-spotted pelt beside the nursery was the same tom- who _did_ perk up his ears and turn at the name- was still alive, he was next in line to be leader.

Duststar shook his head, "Gorsestar was Windstar's mate. He thought that leadership should stay in the family."

Birchstar shifted her paws uncertainty, "Oh…" She cut a glance at a tom who had introduced himself as "_Ryewhisker, son of Stonetail," _and suddenly things clicked into place.

"Are you going to make a kit of yours your successor, Birchstar?" he went on.

Birchstar hurriedly stood up, "I'm not _having _kits. Come on, Rainsplash, I think we've greeted quite enough here."

Rainsplash followed, hardly keeping up with his sleeker sister as she dashed away. She stopped at the marshy ground and treeline of RiverClan's border.

"Honestly," Birchstar panted, "You make a cat your second-in-command, you give them that _stress… _and you don't even reward them with leadership!" she turned to face Rainsplash, "Rainsplash, promise me… if you live to be a leader after me, you won't make your kit your successor."

Rainsplash blinked. "Are you making me deputy?"

"Who else?"

Rainsplash huffed a laugh, "Okay. I don't think I'll be having kits either."

Birchstar nodded, satisfied. They then continued onto RiverClan. Riverstar was still living, however Night was not. Instead, a tom named Emberfall was deputy. Emberfall had himself a child, she did not introduce herself as "_Cloudberry, daughter of Emberfall," _but she still worried Birchstar.

They returned to SkyClan when the sky was red and the sun was going down. Birchstar collapsed back into the den beside the Highbranch for a very exhausted, somewhat angry, all-night nap.

(...)

"Birchstar!"

It was hardly a moon later and Birchstar still hadn't quite slept off her ceremony. She also hadn't quite slept off the stomach wound the ThunderClan warrior Dapplespring had given to her that had also taken her first life.

"What is it?" she said groggily.

"Duststar."

Birchstar grunted and stood, emerging from the ferns. It was a cloudy day, one of the days perfect for one of those all-day naps.

"Greetings," she mewed, sitting in front of him. Beside him sat Stonetail. Duststar dipped his head, so Birchstar went on. "How is WindClan?"

"WindClan's alright," he answered, eyes flickering to Stonetail, "And we've had a bit of an incident."

"...oh?"

"Yes," Duststar went on, "We're going to have a meeting at Fourtrees at the full moon. Will you attend?"

"Of course. May I ask what it's about?"

"Our incident…" Stonetail answered, standing and following behind Duststar as they headed up the bramble tunnel, "We lost a warrior. We need to speak to the other leaders."

Birchstar shifted her paws uncertainty, then turned back to Dashtail, who had been watching the ordeal.

"Dashtail," she mewed a bit quietly, "When's the full moon?"

"Tonight."

"Tonight…" she repeated, then leaped onto the Highbranch, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highbranch for a clan meeting!"

Truthfully, most of the hunters were already watching from their den. The apprentices were watching as well from their fern-and-stump nest. The apprentices were the first cats to bound up, just in case it was finally their ceremony.

_They _are _getting quite old… _Birchstar thought to herself. She sighed and shook her head. "Emberstar has invited us to attend a Gathering at Fourtrees tonight…. I'd like Rainsplash, Acorn Fur, Alder, Beechpaw, Rowanpaw and Cherrypaw to come with me."

The apprentice's eyes lit up. Birchstar, satisfied, jumped off the Highbranch and padded to where Blossom and Rainsplash were sitting.

"Assessment time?" Blossom asked. Birchstar nodded, then turned to Beechpaw. He looked more like a WindClan cat the older he got. Beechpaw was long, tall and sleek- and still _so much_ like Eagle Feather. His nurserymates looked more like ThunderClan, Rowanpaw was big, stumpy and a bit stout. Cherrypaw was just about the splitting image of Clover. Birchstar flicked her stumpy tail and Beechpaw came rushing up behind her.

Birchstar silently led him into the woods, into a hollow abundant with herbs. Without a word, Birchstar picked a blue flower and put it behind her ear.

"What's that for?" Beechpaw asked.

Birchstar shrugged and turned to him, "I've felt like a tom for the past moon. Might as well roll with it."

Beechpaw tilted his head and squinted his blue eyes in confusion. "A bit strange, isn't it? I mean…"

Birchstar didn't respond, instead she simply climbed up a tree and lounged on a branch. Beechpaw blinked up at her.

"You know," he went on, "Rowanpaw's been insisting Cherrypaw and I start calling him a she-cat."

"And you haven't been?"

Beechpaw pressed his ears to his head. "But Rowanpaw's a tom!"

"Not anymore. She's a she-cat, now. Just as I am now your male mentor."

Beechpaw huffed and got into a hunting crouch.

"I can hold you back from getting your full name with Rowanpaw and Cherrypaw," Birchstar informed, "Seems like you still need to learn a bit of respect."

"I'm sorry, Birchstar," he replied, sitting back up, "Next time I see him- er, _her- _I'll call Rowanpaw a she-cat."

Birchstar smiled, letting a purr rumble in his throat. "Good. Now, I want you to catch a thrush and a bluejay…"


	10. Chapter 9

"We could meet here every moon, when the forest is light enough to walk easily, and come in peace to share are news," Birchstar mewed.

WindClan's _incident _was that Ryewhisker had been killed in a battle with RiverClan. He had been protecting his mate, Cloudberry, and had paid his life to do it. Emberstar had suggested the utmost loyalty to your clan, and the other leaders had agreed.

"A truce?" asked Duststar. Then an angry murmuring broke out in the cats who had come before it quickly turned to yowls. Birchstar shrunk back, a bit surprised at their ferocity.

"SkyClan finks," spat Hollystar's deputy, Brindlethroat, "Keeping peace now won't undo what Clear Sky did."

Cherrypaw bundled her legs under herself, ready to spring. Rowanpaw stepped in front of her before she could make any move. Rainsplash and Acorn Fur, who were sitting in a line beside Vinetail and Shivering Rose, raised their hackles.

"_Enough!" _yowled Duststar. He stretched up and for a moment, he was as tall as Gorsestar had been. He turned angry amber eyes into Birchstar's dark blue ones. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rainsplash bare his teeth. "Birchstar, I see more clearly than ever that your suggestion is wise. Though I doubt any peace will hold for even one night," he growled, changing glance to Hollystar, who in turn stared down her deputy, "Let us try it and see what it brings."

"...that's all I ask," Birchstar mewed, a bit out of breath.

So the Warrior Code was formed.

(...)

The next day was a nice and warm new-leaf morning.

"Let all cats join here beneath the Highbranch for a clan meeting," Birchstar called.

Just as she announced, Thorn, Rainsplash and Rowanpaw returned from a hunting patrol, Rowanpaw carrying a squirrel as fat as her fluffy, stubby tail. She slid it under the elderflower bush and the three sat right in front of it. The hunters- well, _warriors, _now, Birchstar supposed- groggily emerged from their big bramble den and spread out in the clearing. Beechpaw and Cherrypaw came out from their bundle of ferns from beside the bramble tunnel.

They took a place beside Rowanpaw. Beechpaw wrapped his long, brown tabby tail around Cherrypaw. She shifted uncomfortably and Rowanpaw cast her nurserymate a hateful glance. Birchstar tapped her own stubby tail on the thorn branch to summon the three.

She gulped and took a breath, hoping to remember the same words Sparrowstar had used on her.

"I, Birchstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of our noble clan, and I commend them to you as... _warriors_ in their turns." She cleared her throat, "Apprentices, do you promise to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do!" exclaimed Cherrypaw.

"Of course," mewed Beechpaw.

Rowanpaw, the most quiet of her nurserymates, simply nodded.

"Then by the powers of StarClan," Birchstar continued, "I have you your names. From this moment on, Beechpaw will be known as Beechpelt, SkyClan honors your determination and courage. Rowanpaw will be known as Rowanfang, SkyClan honors your strength and skill in battle. Cherrypaw will be known as Cherrystep, SkyClan honors your charisma and enthusiasm."

"Rowanfang!" exclaimed Rainsplash, "Beechpelt! Cherrystep!"

Soon enough, the whole of SkyClan was chanting their names. Once it died down, Birchstar stepped down from the thorn branch and Rainsplash stepped up under her. Birchstar briefly touched her nose to his cheek before returning to her den.

Rainsplash organized patrols, leaving the three new warriors out of anything. Cherrystep stood and padded toward the bramble tunnel as Thorn's thin brown tail disappeared.

"Race you to the tallest maple on the riverbank!" she exclaimed, running.

"Hey!" Rowanfang called after her, "No fair!"

Beechpelt shoved after her, and Rowanfang was running last. The three dashed through the forest, and soon enough, Beechpelt had overtaken Cherrystep by a fox-length. Making one more SkyClan leap forward, Beechpelt touched a paw to the tree. Cherrystep hit it next. Then several heartbeats later, Rowanfang, her pelt dappled with the brown speckles of burrs and panting, touched the trunk.

"Windcat," Rowanfang insulted after she gained her breath.

Beechpelt purred, "And you look like a regular Thundercat."

"And _I'm _going to become a Rivercat!" Cherrystep exclaimed, "I'll be back in a sec."

She padded away into the ferns toward the riverbank. Once she was out of earshot, Rowanfang turned to Beechpelt.

"What was _that?"_

"Hm?"

"You putting your tail around Cherrystep at the ceremony."

Beechpelt smirked, "I fancy her, you know."

Rowanfang flicked her tail and bared the rest of her teeth, "She's uncomfortable when you do things like that, you know. If you _really _fancied her, you'd know that."

Beechpelt frowned and flicked his long tail before smirking again. "Tell you what. We'll race to the top of the tree. If you win, I'll stop. If I win, I won't."

"That's not for you to-"

"What's wrong?"

Cherrystep came back then, sitting beside them. Rowanfang scowled.

"Rowanfang and I are going to race to the top of the tree. Will you stay down here and spectate for us?"

"Sure!"

Beechpelt bundled his legs under himself, preparing for a leap. Rowanfang sighed and got into her own position.

"Ready!" Cherrystep exclaimed, "Set! Go!"

Beechpelt was the faster of the three, but Rowanfang had the stronger haunches. Her SkyClan leap was a tail-length further than any other SkyClan cat's.

She landed on a branch and bundled to take another leap. Beechpelt was off his branch and scuttling up the tree like a squirrel, determination in his eyes. Rowanfang suppressed a retch and leaped, not caring to wait the few seconds it took to make sure her leap was higher.

Eventually, she was right under Beechpelt. He was bundled up on a branch. When he leaped, he smacked a hind paw into Rowanfang's face. Rowanfang let out a screech and, in surprise, jumped away from the branch. Beechpelt quickly turned and watched, frozen, as she fell. They were at least half-a-tree-length up, and neither Beechpelt or Cherrystep knew what to do to help her.

Rowanfang landed with a snap and a yowl. Beechpelt was quickly making his way down, ears flatten and eyes wide in guilt.

Cherrystep panted, "Stay here!" she called, Rowanfang giving her a glare, "I will go and get help!"

Beechpelt landed long after Cherrystep had gone. Paws heavy as stones, he buried his muzzle into her pelt and started to sob.

"Get off me," Rowanfang commanded.

Beechpelt jumped back, "You're _alive?"_

"Yeah, no thanks to you."

Beechpelt sat up and hung his head. "Could you ever forgive me…?"

Rowanfang rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, smirking, "I suppose."

(...)

Rowanfang's leg was broken and Cherrystep hadn't left her side once. Beechpelt couldn't enter the den, it hurt him too much. He couldn't hardly speak to Cherrystep, either.

Beechpelt would never admit it, but it hurt his heart to see how Cherrystep would lick behind Rowanfang's ear and sweep her tail lightly over the leg that still had a leaf and stick wrapped around it.

"I have news," Rowanfang mewed to him one day in leaf-fall.

"Yeah?"

"Cherrystep and I are mates!" she announced.

"Oh," Beechpelt mewed, "Well, congratulations."

Rowanfang nodded, "We're going to have kits come next greenleaf."

"Good."

That was the last happy news that SkyClan had received for a long time.

A few weeks later in leaf-bare, Acorn Fur wheezed and collapsed, and only stopped spasming when the life drained from her eyes. Rowanfang and Peppermint assisted Dashtail in his duties- suddenly more stressful and grief-stricken.

The only hope the clan was riding on were Cherrystep's kits. Unfortunately the leaf-bare was hard and Cherrystep had given up one too many prey pieces. The kits seemingly froze inside her and bleed out when the warmth came back.

SkyClan was devastated. But no cat was more devastated than Cherrystep and Rowanfang.

Beechpelt brought them a bird every day. He'd made a point of bringing doves.


	11. Chapter 10

a/n: (pretty graphic) drowning tw

also, molenose = molewhisker (rc)

(...)

It had been three separate leaf-bares, about to go into the fourth, and still no kits had been born into SkyClan.

RiverClan's river had since shifted, putting the Sunningrocks on ThunderClan's side of the border. They'd won several battles with ThunderClan and Troutstar, the newest RiverClan leader as well as Splashstar's apprentice, had grown a bit too cocky and started marking SkyClan's shore.

"We can't stand for this," said Thorn, lashing their tail. "We're going into leafbare and I know how to fish! Land and sky prey has _never _been kind to us in leaf-bare. What are they going to do, poison their own supply?"

Blossom shifted awkwardly on her paws, "But no one else knows how to fish, Thorn. How would we eat off the river?"

"I'll catch them all myself!" they exclaimed.

"Don't do that, Thorn," Birchstar mewed, "We don't have enough cats to fight RiverClan. They have four more warriors, Rainsplash and I have had to chase them out before they climbed The Maple."

She caught a quick glance at Rowanfang, whose leg and yet to heal completely and likely never would.

"Wreckless warriors," Beechpelt mewed, "Fernleaf would never."

"But we aren't fighting Fernleaf," Honey Pelt added, "Fernleaf is an elder."

"Hang on," Dashtail mewed, lashing his tail. Everyone immediately shut their jaws before any yowling could break out.

"What is it, Dashtail?" Thorn asked.

"Let me think. RiverClan has… warriors," he mewed, just thinking out loud, "They have two senior warriors, Eelwhisker and Pikeleap… They've also got four more warriors, Nettlepad, Lightningpelt, Molenose and Snaketooth… but Snaketooth broke his leg and I don't know if he's strong as Rowanfang. Then there's Reedpaw and Oatpaw, but Oatpaw's Meadowpelt's apprentice now, but they both have their fair share of battle skill… and Fernleaf could fight too… and Troutstar has many lives…"

"So?" asked Thorn, flicking their ear nonchalantly.

"So," he mewed, "RiverClan has seven absolute warriors, nine if Meadowpelt, Oatpaw and Snaketooth fight, twelve if Sunspots' kits are apprentices, and thirteen if Fernleaf fights!"

"And how many cats does SkyClan have?" Blossom asked.

"Nine, since Nettle died!"

"Well," Thorn said, standing, "Seven absolutes is less than us, right? I'd say we have the upper paw!"

Birchstar rolled her eyes, "Cool. I'm not going with you. _What if someone attacks the camp," _she said, deepening her voice to imitate Thorn's, "Did you ever think of that?"

"Birchstar!" said Peppermint, "ThunderClan has taken the strip of land from the silver birch on the riverbank to that lone yellow Twoleg den-" Birchstar shuddered at the mention, "-we _can't _let RiverClan take our territory too!"

"This greenleaf wasn't as plentiful," Cherrystep mewed, "And lack of food has made us irritable. But Thorn is right, leaf-bare will only be harder if we're hungry. We need _a _source."

Rainsplash turned to his leader, who was lashing her tail. "So, are you coming?"

Birchstar sighed. "No. Someone needs to watch the camp and Dashtail can't fight to save himself in case something happens," she huffed and padded over to lay her muzzle on Rainsplash's head, "Please be careful. I feel a thunderstorm on the horizon."

"I'll make sure everyone comes back alive," he promised, licking her cheek before holding his tail up and leading everyone out. Birchstar frowned and closed her eyes, curling her tail around her paws before praying to Skystar Rainsplash _could _keep that promise.

(...)

Thorn had marked the border right in front of a RiverClan patrol. They taunted them and then they went knees-deep into the river, scooping up a trout right in front of them.

They saw the two amber eyes in the reeds glance at eachother before disappearing.

"_Ha!" _they exclaimed, swimming to shore and placing the fish on the grass, "And Birchstar was _so _worried! Cowardly finks, the lot of them!" they placed a paw on the fish, "Run this back to camp, would you, Blossom? I think Birchstar would quite _en~joy it!"_

Blossom nodded and did just that. Suddenly, before she could return and with more boasting and degrading from Thorn, a roar sounded through the forest. Then lightning flashed.

"Uh-oh," said Rainsplash, "The storm will be here soon. We should get back to camp before the-"

"Oh, you think you can just _leave?" _came a voice from the other side of the reeds, "Honestly, I'm not surprised that SkyClan has forgotten the warrior code, it's not like they've suggested any laws."

"We started _Gatherings!" _Peppermint spat back.

"Oh, now the kittypet is gonna preach to us?" asked Reedpaw, who was nearly as tall as Troutstar, and Thorn figured he was a warrior by now. "Go back to your housefolk!"

Peppermint unsheathed her claws and looked as if she could jump across the gorge just to attack. Thorn lashed their tail.

"Yeah," they said, "And RiverClan has two laws, don't you? I would've thought you'd know crossing borders is against the warrior code!"

"Yeah, whatever you say, _Clear Sky!" _spat a small calico tom with two sets of ears- Rabbitkit- Rabbitpaw, rather- Sunspots' kit, Thorn figured. They lashed their tail but before they could say anything, Troutstar spoke.

"Riverstar isn't leader anymore and I _will _battle against you."

"Seems rather easy," mewed Lightningpelt, "This is the whole of SkyClan, isn't it? And we've got the whole of ours."

Nettlepad sneered, "I bet Thorn still wishes their little girlfriend Dew was still alive so they could get away with this."

Thorn decided that was it and moved their tail from where they were blocking Peppermint. Bundling their muscles underneath themself, they launched straight for Troutstar's throat. Peppermint was next, going for Reedpaw. Blossom had returned and upon immediately seeing the splashes of fights in the river, went for Rabbitpaw.

Honeypelt joined his mate while Rowanfang and Cherrystep jumped for Eelwhisker and Pikeleap. Beechpelt jumped for Molenose and immediately dug his teeth into his spine.

Rainsplash hadn't quite gotten over his fear of water, but the sight of Tansypaw, Sunspots' other kit, and Nettlepad leaping at his former apprentice Rowanfang's throat and back sparked something inside him. He leaped for the light tabby, gashing a claw through his ear and pressed his throat into the bottom of the bank.

He was about to let up and let him run when Nettlepad kicked Rainsplash's stomach and scored through his shoulder as he sat up. Tansypaw landed squarely on his shoulders. For a moment Rainsplash's muzzle fell under the water.

Nettlepad leaped back to his feet as Rowanfang threw Tansypaw off and started her own fight. Immediately, Nettlepad let out a yowl and shoved Rainsplash backwards deeper into the river. The rain started to fall as Rainsplash's head hit the pebbles of the ground. In response, Rainsplash's jaws gasped open for air. Water filled his mouth and involuntarily and he feebly tried to reach Nettlepad's stomach- or _any _place to kick him off. The tom was taller than Rainsplash, and he couldn't reach his stomach if he tried.

The light tom was pressing harder and harder on his throat anyway, and Rainsplash couldn't even open his eyes to _try _and pry him off.

_I'm going to die._

The current was suddenly so calming, and the water in his belly felt warm. He couldn't breathe and Nettlepad wasn't going to stop. Rainsplash let out a breath, bubbles popping and floating upward.

"_What are you doing?!" _came a yowl. A white and dark ginger figure bundled into Nettlepad, bopping his head, claws unsheathed. "_Murderer!"_

"What are you on about!?" yowled Troutstar, throwing Thorn off himself. The battle was at a halt. Reedpaw stepped forward and tripped over Rainsplash's body. He let out a distressed yowl and nudged the unconscious body upward and onto the nearest cat's shoulders. Rabbitpaw shot closer to Lightningpelt, keeping Rainsplash's nose above the waves. Troutstar froze.

"Run him back to one of our camps, the three of you, this battle is over," he announced. Reedpaw got under Rainsplash's hindquarters and the three shot of toward the RiverClan shore.

Troutstar turned a cold blue gaze to Nettlepad, looking as disheveled as ever.

"Back to camp," he snapped, "All of you," he nodded to Thorn. "Rainsplash is Birchstar's brother, right? Go get her and bring her over. We are figuring out what happened."

(...)

Birchstar's eyes were wide as she paced back and forth in the RiverClan camp. Rainsplash was alive and as well as he could be. He'd swallowed a piece of driftwood that had torn his throat up pretty bad. Meadowpelt had said that no matter how much honey he ate, chances are he'd never be able to talk correctly again.

The sky was red with sunset and the blood that had been spilled in the water. All of SkyClan was in RiverClan's camp, Meadowpelt, Oatpelt and Dashtail working to help wounds.

Rainsplash was _alive. _That was all Birchstar cared about. ...though a little part of her told her that she couldn't ever fight RiverClan again, she'd murder the fink who did it.

"He was trying to _kill me!" _Nettlepad exclaimed.

"I was not," Rainsplash rasped, the usually so eloquent tom unable to put any power into his voice. "I was about to let you up, let you _run,_ but you kicked me and tried to drown me!"

Troutstar ran a claw up the rock he was sitting on before yowling could break out. Birchstar collapsed onto her haunches and cringed at the noise.

"You are Clear Sky's grandson," Nettlepad said coldly, his green eyes bearing into Rainsplash's pale yellow. "Wasn't that the cat who killed Rainswept Flower?"

"Nettlepad!" Troutstar scolded. The pale tom snapped to attention. "You are. _So. Lucky_ you are my son," he hissed, "I believe Rainsplash and Rowanfang's story wholeheartedly. And even if I didn't, there is _no excuse _for the insults you have thrown tonight. Snaketooth," he called.

The brown tabby sat up, his leg wrapped in stick and leaf from where he had broken it so many moons ago.

"Are you fit to mentor an apprentice?" he asked.

Snaketooth pricked his ears, "I think so, sir! I can't guarantee how great I'll be at fighting, but Molenose and Lightningpelt can help me."

"Good," Troutstar mewed, "Rabbitpaw, your new mentor will be Snaketooth."

"_What?" _the four-eared tom exclaimed, "But I like Nettlepad!"

"And if Nettlepad can prove himself a bit more _respectful _you might get him back," Troutstar turned a gaze to his child, "You are reduced to apprentice duties until you can prove yourself better. You will change bedding, pick ticks, and do whatever _I, Fernleaf, Meadowpelt and Oatpelt _ask of you, is that clear?"

Nettlepad hung his head. "Yes, sir."

"If I didn't queen you, you'd be exiled, Nettlepad, do you understand that?"

Nettlepad looked back up, his eyes flaming with the same determination that nearly killed Rainsplash, "Yes, sir!"

"Good. I want Molenose watching over you." Nettlepad nodded and Troutstar stood up to the full size Birchstar had seen so many times in Splashstar and Darkstar. "Meeting dismissed! Reedpelt, Rabbitpaw and Snaketooth, make sure they make it across the border."

Birchstar hadn't hardly registered all the words of the meeting. Even back in SkyClan, she just couldn't process the day's events. She tapped her tail to Rainsplash's shoulder.

"Sleep in my den tonight," she said, half-way between a command and a suggestion. Either way, Rainsplash took up the offer, and for the first time since Flower Foot's death, the two shared eachother's warmth. But Rainsplash was still so cold with water.


	12. Chapter 11

The morning wasn't different to any other Birchstar had seen, but she felt a pit in her stomach as she watched the light blue dapples of dawn break their way into her den. It wasn't very long until Rainsplash woke up. For a while they stayed there, neither saying anything. Neither had really processed the events of yesterday.

"Birch," Rainsplash rasped. Birchstar immediately stroked her tail over his back.

"Splash…."

"I've had the worst night of sleep in years," he confessed.

"I can imagine…"

"I was… thinking," he coughed, "A deputy's biggest job is organizing patrols, and a leaders main job is doing ceremonies. I can't hardly speak anymore, and… Birch, I'm sorry, but I have to resign as your deputy."

If Birchstar's heart wasn't already shattered, it sure was now. Her paws shook and for several seconds she couldn't respond. Rainsplash's eyes looked just as dull and shattered as they did when Dew Petal, Fritz and Flower Foot died.

"...so what would you like to do?"

"I'd like to become an elder," he mewed, "No respectable SkyClan warrior would execute me. _Could _execute me."

"I'd execute them, first," Birchstar snarled. Rainsplash smiled and purred, so much more raspy than it had ever been it- _it sounded just like Fritz's._

"...I think you should make Beechpelt deputy in my place," he informed, "I know Featherstar made it law you need an apprentice before you can become deputy, but we haven't had a new litter in… years."

Birchstar nodded. "I was thinking about Rowanfang, honestly."

"I mentored Rowanfang," Rainsplash reminded with a laugh, "She wouldn't do well."

Birchstar dipped her head. "Okay. I'll make Beechpelt deputy, for you. But, just so you know, you can just… step down. You don't need to become an elder."

"I _want _to," Rainsplash admitted.

Little did either of them know, Beechpelt had slipped out of camp when the first strings of sunlight split the sky. He was bolting across the stepping stones and through RiverClan territory, really buying into the WindClan blood every clan's apprentices rumored him to have. Until, eventually, he stopped.

He was on the border between RiverClan and WindClan. He slipped out from a heather bush and made his way toward a yellow Twoleg nest, then turned. Regaining his breath, he ran again, through another treeline and to a plain over a cliff. There sat three cats, one laying on her side, sobbing.

The tortoiseshell looked up from her stomach, in Beechpelt's direction.

"I kit _two weeks ago," _she snarled, "And this is the only time you visit me!? I had three kits! Two of them are dead!"

"Mama…?" whispered a small bundle, at her stomach, "Why are you _scweaming?"_

The beige tom in front of her turned to face Beechpelt, "Is this him, Quest?"

Quest nodded. The black-and-gray tom beside him, who looked strikingly like a WindClan cat, stole a glance.

"Are you the one who murdered Tango?" asked the black-and-gray tom.

"Who?" replied Beechpelt.

The beige tom shifted. "My name is Talon. And this is Spider… we… we suppose you already know Quest."

"Very well," Beechpelt mewed, "The little one. That's mine?"

"If you'd care to parent her," Quest spat.

"I sure would. What's her name?"

"It's Moth," Talon mewed, "Tango named her before she died."

Quest picked the kitten up, dropping her at Beechpelt's paws.

"Here's your stupid kit," Quest mewed, "I never want to see the either of you again."

With that, Quest stood and left, leaving Talon and Spider with him. Talon licked Moth's back.

"This is your papa," he mewed, "He's gonna raise you from now on."

Moth blinked her wide eyes up at Beechpelt. "Do you have milk?" she asked hopefully, "Because I'm _weawwy hungwy…"_

Beechpelt narrowed his eyes. "SkyClan doesn't have any queens," he mewed quietly to Talon and Spider. "How old are either of you?"

"Too young to have kits!" Spider exclaimed.

"We're two moons," Talon admitted at the same time.

Beechpelt sighed, "Okay. I'll tell you all right now, when we get to SkyClan, you're getting renamed Mothkit, Talonkit and Spiderkit."

"I like Mothkit…" said his daughter. Beechpelt felt his heart swell.

(...)

Unbeknownst to Beechpaw, SkyClan _did _have milk. Cherrystep had finally managed to deliver a litter successfully. SkyClan was ecstatic, sending Cherrystep and Rowanfang very happy well wishes. The kits were the same ginger as the dawn sky, one lighter. She had a black spot just before her tail and the tail itself, but the end was cream like her chest.

"Tortoiseshell and ginger," Dashtail announced, rather proud of himself for delivering kits despite never having the ability to be trained in such, "Girl and a boy. Congratulations."

Rowanfang purred and licked behind Cherrystep's ear. "What should we name them?" she asked softly.

Cherrystep purred. "I think we should name the tom Robinkit."

Rowanfang nodded and her purr went louder, "What if we name the she-kit Maplekit? Her spot looks a bit like a maple leaf, don't you think?"

"Oh!" Cherrystep exclaimed, laughing, "It does, doesn't it!"

Birchstar backed happily way from the entrance of the den. It was suddenly so bright and warm in there, it reminded her of the fluff on Dew Petal's chest she'd always curl into in leaf-bare. Rainsplash flicked his tail to catch her attention. He was staring at the old warriors den that had long been abandoned for the bigger one not very far away.

"Yeah?" she asked. Rainsplash slunked under the holly bush and curled up on a spot of dirt- just where the two of them used to sleep.

"This will make a good elder's den, I think," he mewed, "I've missed this place."

Birchstar flexed her claws and felt her heart swell. Before she could step forward and curl up beside him, all the happy chatter in the camp stopped and bushes rustled. Birchstar straighten and turned around, facing the bramble tunnel behind them.

Who else was standing there than Beechpelt, black bundle in his jaws and flanked by a skinny gray-and-black cat and a fatter pale cat, eye swollen shut from the brambles. Every cat's eyes were on the crowd, aside from Cherrystep's, who was asleep in the nursery. Rowanfang had slinked out and was staring down at him the hardest.

The two cats on either side of Beechpelt were tiny, not even apprentice-sized. Birchstar stepped closer, noticing their eyes were still blue and their faces were still ripe with kit-fluff. Beechpelt set down the bundle and it looked up at Birchstar with its own wide, blue eyes. This wasn't a kitten that should be weaned yet.

Rowanstep immediately stepped forward and picked up the kitten by the scruff. Dashtail stepped forward from the nursery and Blossom shifted so she could enter. Dashtail tapped his white tailtip to the pale tom's shoulder and led him under the ferns and into the stone of his den. Beechpelt cast him a glance and the young tom reluctantly followed.

"Beechpelt," Birchstar commanded, making the tom snap to attention. The kit on his other side slunk under his muzzle and followed the first to the medicine den, eyes wide. "Care to explain yourself?"

Beechpelt sat upright and held his leader's gaze. Suddenly he looked more like the deputy that Rainsplash saw in him than he ever had. Maybe that was because, for once in his life, he wasn't slouching.

"The kit that Rowanfang took is mine," he admitted, "Her name is Moth and her mother had abandoned the both of us. The tom Dashtail took is named Talon and the one who followed is his brother named Spider."

Birchstar's gaze hardened, "You know it's against the code to have half-clan relationships, don't you, Beechpelt?"

"Of course I do," Beechpelt snarled, "SkyClan has been without kits for _three leaf-bares. _No one else has _tried _to bring new cats into our clan, and without warriors, we will not survive. If I must break the code to secure our clan's longevity, then sobeit."

Birchstar was a bit taken aback at his anger. She blinked and took a step back as Beechpelt slouched again, but the fire in his eyes still held strong.

"...I'm impressed with you, Beechpelt," she admitted, "You've managed to give SkyClan three more potential warriors. Good job."

Blossom straightened and flexed her claws, "Surely you will be punishing him for breaking the warrior code?"

Birchstar faced her, gaze still hard, "We will not be around forever," she snapped, "Cats die and our clan will not live if we don't have warriors," with that, she turned back to Beechpelt, "I want to to collect bedding for Rainsplash and Cherrystep."

Beechpelt blinked, surprised, "What happened to Cherrystep and Rainsplash?"

"She had kits," mewed Rowanfang, standing outside of the nursery and tapping her stumpy tail on the ground, "Mine. Your daughter will have milk, thank StarClan."

Beechpelt softened his gaze as he gazed at her. He smiled and a raspy purr rumbled in his throat. Then Honey Pelt stood up.

"What _did _happen to Rainsplash?"

Rainsplash slunk out from under the holly bush, looking as old as Fernleaf and like he'd just woken up. Instead of verbally responding, he sat down and rose a paw to his throat. Honey Pelt didn't understand what he meant. Birchstar turned to Rowanfang. The large she-cat nodded and ducked into the nursery.

Birchstar stepped up onto the Highbranch. The clan was already gathered and looking up at her expectantly. Talon, face half-covered in cobwebs, cowared into Spider while Dashtail had his tail curled around their haunches. Rainsplash stepped closer.

"We all remember what happened yesterday," Birchstar started, "In our attack against RiverClan, Rainsplash nearly drowned to death- thank StarClan he's still alive- but it ruined his voice terribly. Part of a leader and deputy's jobs are to address the clan… and that's not something he believes he can do effectively anymore…"

Rainsplash closed his eyes and nodded. Birchstar dug her claws into his branch and resisted the wail in her throat at the thought of her brother- her best friend- wouldn't be beside her anymore.

"Rainsplash… is it your wish to give up your name as a warrior and become an elder."

"It is," he rasped, voice hardly carrying. Honey Pelt's eyes went wide.

"Your clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest…"

Rainsplash smiled and stepped forward, tapping his nose to her paw before slinking back under the holly bush. Birchstar let out a breath and stepped down, devastated.

"Now if… Moth, Spider and Talon would join us." The kits stepped forward, Moth on wobbly legs. Beechpelt helped nudge her along. Birchstar turned her gaze to the two older kittens, "Is it your wish to join SkyClan?"

"It is," Spider mewed, Talon nodding.

"How old are you?"

"Two moons."

"You hold yourselves well," Birchstar hummed, "If I were less of a leader, I would make you apprentices. But I will respect Hazelstar's law. From this moment on, until you earn your apprentice names, you will be known as Talonkit and Spiderkit."

Moth straightened herself a bit, completely ignoring the leg of the brown tom behind her. Birchstar crouched down to face the tiny thing closer.

"And _you _will be known as Mothkit." She beamed, so Birchstar sat back up and looked to Beechpelt. "I believe _you _have a job to do."


	13. Chapter 12

It was three moons later in a harsh leaf-bare that Talonkit and Spiderkit became apprentices. Thorn had become Talonpaw's mentor while Rowanfang had become Spiderpaw's.

Snow crunched under their paws as Thorn led their apprentice toward the RiverClan border. Talonpaw had been an apprentice for a week, but was still staring around the territory, wide-eyed.

"I'm teaching you to fish," Thorn said.

Talonpaw snapped back to the elderly brown cat in front of him. "I thought SkyClan ate birds?"

Thorn huffed, "The day that there's a code that states each clan must only eat one kind of prey is the day I become a rogue again."

Talonpaw skipped forward, coming shoulder-to-shoulder with his mentor. "But won't RiverClan get us? It's their river!"

Thorn flicked their tail, "During leaf-bare they hunt in the river near ThunderClan territory, it's deeper there."

Talonpaw didn't respond after that and just let Thorn lead him to the riverbank.

"Careful," they mewed, "Hill."

Talonpaw scoffed and rolled his eyes. Immediately, he placed his paws wrong and tumbled down, yowl running out of his throat. Ice-cold water splashed over his head and his paws skidded against pebbles.

It wasn't very long until jaws clenched around his scruff and were dragging his small body to shore. Talonpaw's pelt met once-dry stones and he coughed up water, shivering.

"Hey!" came a voice from the other side of the river. An equally as cold Thorn looked over. On the other riverbank stood a tall black tom and a just-shorter ginger-and-white tom. "Do you need help? Don't want you freezing to death."

Thorn shivered and turned back, which the toms took as good enough as an invitation. The tall black tom pressed his fluffy pelt against Thorn's, while the ginger tom nudged Talonpaw up. Talonpaw ducked into his equally as fluffy pelt and wished he was half-RiverClan rather than half-WindClan.

They were half-way back to camp when Thorn's eyes went wide and they opened their mouth to breathe. From the sounds of things, that didn't help. A quarter of the ways to the camp, Thorn stumbled, only kept from crashing into the snow by the tom beside them. Talonpaw made his own stumble, not nearly as bad as Thorn's, and took in his own shakey breath.

So cold, so cold.

The toms grabbed the cats by the scruffs and dragged their semi-conscious bodies down the tunnel. As soon as they were inside the camp, their bodies were shoved into the empty apprentice's den and the black tom started barking orders.

"I need the fluffiest cat in the paw's den, and water mint, thyme and tansy, _now!"_

Dashtail emerged from his den, "What part of tansy?"

"_All of it! _We got two cases of hypothermia!"

Blossom and Rowanfang rushed into the den, pressing themselves against the cats. Thorn panted and flexed their claws. Blossom pressed the tip of her tail against the brown cat's chest as she settled across them. The blood roared in her ears and she wasn't sure if it was from her own nervous heartbeat or Thorn's pounded against her.

"Blossom?" whimpered Thorn, their voice sounding so terribly dry.

"No, _shh…"_

"Do you think… I'm going to StarClan?" they went on despite Blossom's protest.

Blossom pressed her ears flat to her head and felt her heart drop.

"Don't you start speaking like that, Thorn-"

"I'll see Dew again…" they went on, as if they couldn't hear. Dashtail entered and started to force the herbs down Talonpaw's throat. "Our kits again…" they sighed. "I'll say hi to Pink Eyes for you…"

They uncurled one paw from under themselves, Blossom followed their pointing. Nothing was on the other end.

"There he is, now…" Thorn whispered. After that, slowly but steadily, Thorn stopped shivering. Even as Dashtail shoved herbs down into them, they stopped trying to keep themself warm. Then they stopped- it hurt Blossom to much to think they _froze._

Talonpaw let out a noise. Blossom, despite her grief, pushed up and covered his head. The black tom parted his fur where his nose was.

Thorn slumped as Blossom pushed over them. The ginger she-cat never took her eyes off the corpse, though. They were so skinny, so small, with such a thin pelt. They could've so easily been a WindClan cat. That would've been better, Blossom figured, they were further from the river.

Dashtail licked their eyes closed and shook his head up at her. Blossom clenched her teeth and eyes closed, resisting to make the sob in her chest audible. Dashtail stepped out and turned to the black tom, letting Talonpaw warm himself.

"I believe I may need to pay Meadowpelt a visit."

Spiderpaw rushed up, tail spiked in anxiety.

"Talonpaw's fine," Dashtail informed, dragging a sigh out of Spiderpaw. "Would you like to come with me to RiverClan?"

Spiderpaw tilted his head. He then glanced between the tall black warrior and the apprentice den. Looking back up at Dashtail, he nodded.


End file.
